hey guys i just read a review of these from a customer at cnet.com, he said they were good for 2 seconds but brok in 2 seconds when he turned the volume all the way up on an ipod touch...is this possible or is he taking the pi$$?? i know theres no real need for it but has anybody had these at full volume on an ipod touch?

Impossible! W3=high quality. read more professional reviews will be more helpful~

Yes! This is exactly it. It gets to a point where all I hear is a high pitched, shimmering "noise" on the W3s as opposed to the individual instrumental components that I hear with my TF10s.

Anyway, I'm sending the W3s back next week and I'll be trying out a pair of IE8s

Ummm...I never had that problem with W3...the instruments and everything are so detailed when I listen to Metallica Master of puppet CD...~Also I do not experience any shimmering noise on highs, they are pretty smooth and comfortable~
The tips that you use is really really the key, also W3 is pretty sensitive to the EQ, you can always adjust the sound~
It might also because of your ear canal...maybe you just could not get the right fit...
It is certainly right to return them if they don't sound good to you.

I will probably keep them for long because they are just real amazing to me...

O.K. This is what I have concluded from all my reading here and elsewhere.
My impression and conviction so YMMV.

IE8 much better than Shure 530(all regards except Isolation(10% better)).
IE8 better than W3 except detail(slightly) and isolation(30% better).
Other variables include many people having fit issues with W3 over IE8.
IE8 Can be had much cheaper if you look around.

All in a nutshell.

Hope this helps. BTW I will be purchasing the IE8 real soon.

Umm, "IE8 better than W3 except detail(slightly)" might be too broad...from what I red, IE8 is only better than W3 in terms of sound stage (don't know to what degree)~
But since I am a W3 owner, I have to mention that although I don't know how IE8 sounds like, but Westone 3 has a really good sound stage~I really have no complaints about it, it does its music really well in terms of sound stage~

it all comes down to what source you are using, how compressed is your music, what is your music taste (basshead?...etc...), and really important to W3, what tips you are using!

Once you get all these factors right~like I am right now, Westone is definitely a perfect choice. (just to mention that I think I have a universal ear canal, I havent had a problem fitting any earbuds...)

I am trying to encourage my friend to get a IE8 because I really really really wanna listen to it and see whats the deal~ but I think it will be really hard for me to give up westone 3 unless I am broke~loL~

O.K. This is what I have concluded from all my reading here and elsewhere.
My impression and conviction so YMMV.

IE8 much better than Shure 530(all regards except Isolation(10% better)).
IE8 better than W3 except detail(slightly) and isolation(30% better).
Other variables include many people having fit issues with W3 over IE8.
IE8 Can be had much cheaper if you look around.

All in a nutshell.

Hope this helps. BTW I will be purchasing the IE8 real soon.

That's basically what I've concluded too based on people's impressions, except for the "IE8 better than W3 except detail(slightly) and isolation(30% better)." The Westone 3 might have the upper hand in treble, but that's personal preference. Trust me, I wasn't going to get the Westone 3: There are things about it that irritate me even without taking its sound into account.

You're gonna get so pissed at me .... I already ordered my IE8. I found a really good deal and went with it. But it's back-ordered and I still have the ability to cancel.

Umm, "IE8 better than W3 except detail(slightly)" might be too broad...from what I red, IE8 is only better than W3 in terms of sound stage (don't know to what degree)~
But since I am a W3 owner, I have to mention that although I don't know how IE8 sounds like, but Westone 3 has a really good sound stage~I really have no complaints about it, it does its music really well in terms of sound stage~

I have absolutely no doubt that the Westone 3 sounds really good. I really think the difference between the Westone 3 and the IE8 (without having heard either one of them) is that the Westone 3 uses balanced armature drivers and the IE8 uses dynamic drivers. The IE8 should sound more like a full-sized headphone, and in the same respect, more like a speaker because it produces sound in the same manner. The Westone 3, simply due to the nature of its drivers, is more detailed. These are two completely different earphones that produce two completely different sounds signatures. It is what's on the inside that counts.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Feather225

it all comes down to what source you are using, how compressed is your music, what is your music taste (basshead?...etc...), and really important to W3, what tips you are using!

Just a quick comment. This is probably the biggest difference between the SE530 and the Westone 3. The Westone 3 seems to be kind of picky (about everything). The SE530 really couldn't care less: this source, that source, this tip, that tip, good recording, bad recording. The SE530 doesn't really care as much. I mean yes, it does make a noticeable difference, but not nearly as much as with the Westone 3. The SE530 is a little more consistent it seems.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Feather225

Once you get all these factors right~like I am right now, Westone is definitely a perfect choice. (just to mention that I think I have a universal ear canal, I havent had a problem fitting any earbuds...)

Well, yeah, given you already like the sound signature. I've finally come to the realization that these are earphones: you're not going to get absolutely everything in one package. You have to make sacrifices somewhere. And as long as those shortcomings don't prevent you from listening to your music and not your earphones, then they are worth what you paid for them.

Regarding the "impactful bass" of the 3 mentioned on "Experimenting with the Westone 3:

Which eartips are you using? I found the Comply tips did exhibit this, not because their seal is good, but because the material they are made of tends to emphasize this range. (my personal term for this type of sound is "rubbery bass".) The foam tips did seem to minimize it though. I'm not sure if they reduce the low bass somewhat, But with good source material the result is simply stunning! I bought some Ety foamies, but their latest ones have an added plastic insert at the user end, which reduces the diameter of the aperture and seems to serve no useful purpose other than constrict the sound ...(comments?) I have a couple of old foamies without these inserts that indeed sound more open. Must have something to do w/ tailoring the response.

I suspect that the perceived upper bass prominence is more a function of the eartips than the 3 itself, and therefore can be improved with the proper tip. I tried molding tips from that silicon sold for use as for earplugs, but the result was no sound at all, which I suspect was caused by the 3's diaphrams bottoming out due to the unequal air pressure created when inserting.

Basically, a magnet rotates about a pivot (the red dot). This magnet is surrounded by another magnet such that the magnet on the pivot "balances" without being attracted to one pole or the other. A coil is wrapped around the balanced magnet. When current runs through the coil, it induces a magnetic field, causing the magnet to rotate about the pivot one way or the other depending on the direction of the current. Finally, the magnet is connected to a diaphragm, which when moved in conjunction with the magnet, produces sound.

I solved the w3 sibilance issue completely using the shure triple flange tips (umodded..great isolation btw which improves SQ too i guess?)..The standard complys came in second with some slight sibilance issues with them..other tips were unbearable for me because of the sibilance issues..

Are these the Shure triple flange tips with the stalk at the bottom (like the ones included with the W3), or the ones without a stalk?

Agree, thats why I always wanna get both earbuds and try which one suits me better...but I'm just extremly happy with my w3...I won't even consider ie8 until and if the price discrimination goes away...otherwise I am just not happy with senn, no matter how good is the product.

Quote:

Originally Posted by moseboy

I have absolutely no doubt that the Westone 3 sounds really good. I really think the difference between the Westone 3 and the IE8 (without having heard either one of them) is that the Westone 3 uses balanced armature drivers and the IE8 uses dynamic drivers. The IE8 should sound more like a full-sized headphone, and in the same respect, more like a speaker because it produces sound in the same manner. The Westone 3, simply due to the nature of its drivers, is more detailed. These are two completely different earphones that produce two completely different sounds signatures. It is what's on the inside that counts.

Just a quick comment. This is probably the biggest difference between the SE530 and the Westone 3. The Westone 3 seems to be kind of picky (about everything). The SE530 really couldn't care less: this source, that source, this tip, that tip, good recording, bad recording. The SE530 doesn't really care as much. I mean yes, it does make a noticeable difference, but not nearly as much as with the Westone 3. The SE530 is a little more consistent it seems.

Well, yeah, given you already like the sound signature. I've finally come to the realization that these are earphones: you're not going to get absolutely everything in one package. You have to make sacrifices somewhere. And as long as those shortcomings don't prevent you from listening to your music and not your earphones, then they are worth what you paid for them.